shartle



(No Model.)

I H. H. SHARTLE.

HORSE COLLAR. No. 496,541. Patented May 2, 1893.

m I v HiH SMrZZew I UNEEED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. SHARTLE, OF RUTHVEN, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEO. B. F.OHAFFEE, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-COLLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,541, dated May 2,1893.

Application filed August 1, 1892. $erial No. 441, 886- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SHARTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ruthven, in the county of Palo Alto and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Horse-Collar and Tug-Tightener, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatically-operating horse-collars and tugor trace tighteners, and has for its objects to secure a correspondingmotion of collar-pads with the shoulders of the animal and avoid rubbingor chafing of the shoulders or neck, and also to take up the slack oftugs or traces arising from movement down grade or in backing.

With these ends in view, theinvention consists of the construction andarrangement of the parts thereof as will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of ahorse-collar embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective.view of a portion of the yielding bow and the parts engaging the same.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the hinge-plates.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the right and leftpads, that are separate and compose the collar. On each of the pads, atthe front thereof, is mounted a hinge-plate 2, having a central eye 3,of elongated form and extending transversely of the pad. Thehorizontally-disposed laterally-extending straight ends 4 of a yieldingor spring how 5 are rotatably mounted in the said eyes 3 and areextended outward beyond the outer terminations of said eyes, the saidextended portions of the ends 4 being formed with square or rectangularnotches 6 for the purpose of attachment and to serve as a means ofadjustment. Over said ends, outside of the hinge-plates, are removablymounted tug or trace irons 7 having front tubular bearings S withrearwardly-projecting arms 9 formed with bolt, rivet, or screw openings10 at the rear thereof that extend transversely thereinto from the outeredge inward, the rear ends of the said tug or trace irons 7 having loops11 secured thereto to which the front ends of the tugs or traces areconnected, it being understood that said loops will be situated in suchmanner as to conveniently accomplish said attachment.

The tug or trace irons are caused to move with the bow 5 by means ofhasps or keepers 12, having notches 13 that coincide with the notches 6of the ends 4 of the bow, and the opposite sides of the hasps or keepersbeing fiat and portions thereof bein' g caused to enter the notches 9,the same are prevented from turning on the said ends 4. The hasps orkeepers are placed against the outer edges of the tug or trace irons,and the rear ends of the same are connected to the rear ends of said tugor trace irons by screws, rivets or bolts 14, passed therethrough andinto the opening 10 of the arms 9 and over the projecting portions ofthe ends4that still remain uncovered are fitted caps 15 with slots 16therein for the purpose of ready application to the said ends to protectthe same and prevent contact there-' of with adjacent objects. The bow 5depends and lies over the lower portions of the pads, and when the padsare pressed out or drawn in in going up or down hills or grades andloosened in backing, the said bow partakes of the same movement andturns the ends 4 thereof to raise or lower the tug or trace irons andconsequently regulate the tugs or traces connected thereto. The upperpart of one pad 1 is provided with a long pliable strap 17 that ispassed over the animal and adj ustably attached to a buckle 18 that issecured to the upper portion of the opposite pad and serves as aconvenient means of applying the collar, and also avoids rubbing andchafing of the neck.

The tug or trace irons may be made of any suitable length,as will bereadilyunderstood,

to accommodate different purposes and compensate for different sizes ofthe device.

The device as herein set forth is simple and effective in itsconstruction and operation, and forms a convenient improvement inharness, and at the same time prevents dragging of the tugs ortrace-chains in coming down grade, as Well as in backing, by taking upthe slack of the same automatically, and also positelyprojecting endsmounted in said hinge-plates and formed with notches, tug or trace ironsmounted on said how ends, hasps or keepers attached to said irons andprovided with notches to engage the aforesaid notches, and caps mountedover the terminating portions of said how ends, substantially asdescribed.

Vitness my hand this 16th day of July, A.

1-1. H. SI-IARTLE. Witnesses:

J II. BAUMER, JOHN KJOUNOE.

